Steering column and ignition lock for motor vehicles



July 19, 1966 R. EICHENAUER 3,261,187

STEERING COLUMN AND IGNITION LOOK FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Original FiledMarch 1, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGJ.

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a4; gnu/2144405? July 19, 1966 R. EICHENAUER 3,261,187

STEERING COLUMN AND IGNITION LOCK FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Original FiledMarch 1, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3.

INVENTOR:

United States Patent 3,261,187 STEERING COLUMN AND IGNITION LOCK FORMOTOR VEHICLES Rudolf Eichenauer, Hollbergstrasse 1, Frankfurt am Main,Germany Continuation of application Ser. No. 176,758, Mar. 1, 1962. Thisapplication Sept. 15, 1964, Ser. No. 396,577 5 Claims. (Cl. 70-252) Thisis a continuation of my application Serial No. 176,758, filed March 1,1962, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a combined steering column and ignition lockfor motor vehicles.

An object of the invention is the provision of a combined steeringcolumn and ignition lock which automatically unlocks the steering columnwhen a key is inserted in the lock and turned from an OFF position to anON position, and which locks the steering column when the key iswithdrawn while the lock is in the OFF position.

Another object is the provision of a combined steering column andignition lock Which is simple in its construction and has relatively fewmovable parts other than those customary in ignition locks.

With these and other objects in view, the invention in one of itsaspects provides a lock with a housing equipped to be secured to thesteering column of a vehicle. A lock bolt is movable on the housingbetween a locking position in which the bolt projects from the housingfor engagement with the steering column, and a retracted position. Themovement of the bolt is actuated by a mechanism which includes yieldablyresilient means for permanently urging the bolt toward its lockingposition, and a driving member which is mounted on the housing formovement in engagement with the bolt against the urging of theafore-mentioned resilient means.

A lock cylinder is rotatably mounted in the housing for angular movementbetween an OFF position and an ON position. The cylinder is operativelyconnected to the driving member for moving the same when the cylinderrotates. A key slot at least partly defined by the cylinder receives anaxially inserted key. A latch is mounted on the housing for movementbetween an operative position and an inoperative position. In theoperative position of the latch, a first portion thereof engages arecess in the lock bolt when the same is in its retracted position whilea second latch portion extends into the key slot for engagement with theinserted key when the cylinder is in the OFF position. In theinoperative position, the latch is withdrawn from the recess in the lockbolt and from the key slot.

The term OFF, as employed in this specification and the appended claimsrelates to that position of a key, lock cylinder and associatedelements, in which a connected ignition switch interrupts an ignitioncircuit, whereas the ON position of the key, the lock cylinder and ofassociated elements is correlated with the position of the ignitionswitch in which the ignition circuit is closed.

According to an important feature of this invention, the key employedwith the lock is formed with a recess which is engaged by theaforementioned second latch portion in the operative position of thelatch when the key is fully inserted in the key slot. A cam on the keyadjacent the recess engages the second latch portion during withdrawalof the key from the key slot and moves the latch from the operative tothe inoperative position. An ignition switch is operatively connected tothe lock cylinder in the usual manner.

Other features and many advantages of this invention will be readilyappreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to thefollowing detailed descri tion of a preferred embodiment when consideredwith the attached drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows a lock arrangement of the invention mounted on the steeringcolumn of a vehicle, not otherwise shown, the view being in sectionperpendicular to the steering column on the line II of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 shows the apparatus of FIG. 1 in section on the line II-II;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, partly sectional view of the device of FIG. 2in a different operational position; and

FIG. 4 shows the device of FIG. 2 in yet another operational position ina fragmentary view similar to that of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawing and first to FIG. 1, the safety lock of thepresent invention is shown in association with the steering column 20 ofa motor car or like craft. The lock is attached to the steering columnby means of a split clamp one part 21 of which is integral with the lockhousing 22. It is fastened to the steering column by means of the otherclamp part 23 whose flange 24 is fastened to a cooperating flange ofpart 21 by bolts 25. The steering column has a recess 26 which isengaged by the lock bolt 27 of the safety lock. The lock bolt isslidably mounted in the lock housing 22 for engagement with the recess26 and has a shoulder 27' cooperating with a corresponding shoulder inthe lock housing for limiting the forward movement of the bolt towardsthe recess 26. A compression spring 29 is mounted in a bore 28 at theend of the bolt remote from the recess 26 and is restrained by a coverplate 30 of the lock housing 22. The spring 29 biases the lock bolttoward its locking position wherein it engages the recess 26 of thesteering column 20.

The bolt carries a catch 31 engageable by a driving member 32 formovement of the lock bolt against the bias of the spring 29 from itslocking position into a retracted position when the driving member 32 isrotated about its axis 37. The driving member 32 has an axial bore 33with diametrically opposed axial-1y extending grooves 34. As seen inFIG. 2, the lock has a cylinder 36 with an axial extension 35 receivedin the bore 33. Two diametrically opposed ribs 37 on the extension 35engage the grooves 34 so that the driving member 32 is secured on thelock cylinder extension 35 for rotation therewith.

Referring further to FIG. 2, it is seen that the lock cylinder extension35 passes through a bottom member 38 of the lock housing 22 into anelectrical ignition switch 39, which is conventional in itself and willnot be further described. The switch is mounted on the bottom member ofthe lock housing by means of a flange 40 which is fastened to the bottommember by bolts 41.

The lock cylinder 36 carries conventional tumblers 42 extendingtransversely to the cylinder axis 37. As usual, tumbler pins 45 arecarried by a tumbler support 46 which forms a bearing sleeve for thelock cylinder 36, the tumblers 42 and tumbler pins 45 being biased bysprings 44 to engage corresponding cuts in a key 43. The tumbler support46 is fixedly mounted in the lock housing 22.

As appears from FIGS. 2 and 3, the lock bolt 27 has a peripheral recess67 which, in the retracted position of the bolt, is aligned with a latch70 for engagement with an arm 68 of the latch. A shaft 69 whichpivotally supports the latch is mounted on the tumbler support 46. Inthe position shown in FIG. 2, the latch arm 68 is held in engagementwith the recess 67 of the lock bolt by a leaf spring 71 which has oneend attached to the shaft 69 While its other end engages a pin 72 on thearm 68 of the latch. When thus biased clockwise the other arm 73 of thelatch 70 engages a cut 74 in the key 43, this key out being defined by aprojecting cam portion 75 of the key. When the lock bolt is in itslocking position, wherein its end engages the recess 26 of the steeringcolumn, the latch 70 assumes the position shown in FIG. 4 and, in brokenlines, in FIG. 3.

The afore-described apparatus operates as follows:

When the key 43 is Withdrawn from the key slot 76 and the lock bolt 27is in its locking position, the arm 68 of the latch 70 is urged againstthe cylindrical wall of the bolt by the spring 71, and the latch arm 73is sufiiciently withdrawn from the key slot 76 to be out of the path ofthe key 43, as is shown in FIG. 4. The lock cylinder 36 and the ignitionswitch 39 (not shown in FIG. 4) are in the OFF position in which thenon-illustrated ignition circuit of the motor vehicle is interrupted.

To close the ignition circuit and to unlock the steering column 20, thekey 43 is inserted into the slot 76 and turned into the ON position. Thelock cylinder 36 is thereby rotated about its axis 37 with the drivingmember 32, and the lock bolt 27 is retracted. In the fully retractedposition of the bolt, the peripheral recess 67 is aligned with the latch70, and the latch arm 68 drops into the recess under the force of thespring 71. The lock cylinder 36 is suitably recessed, as shown in FIG. 3to permit the corresponding displacement of the latch arm 73. Thevehicle is ready for operation.

When the ignition is turned oif by rotating the key 43 with the lockcylinder 36 into the OFF position illustrated in FIG. 2, the drivingmember 32 moves out of engagement with the catch 31 into the position ofthe driving member illustrated in FIG. 1, but the lock bolt 27 isretained in its unlocking position (as shown in FIG. 1) against theforce of the spring 29 by the latch 70. During the rotating movement ofthe key 43 and the lock cylinder 36 from the ON to the OFF position, thecut 74 in the key 43 receives the latch arm 73.

Upon subsequent withdrawal of the key 43 from the key slot 76, theprojecting key portion 75 cammingly engages the latch arm 73 and pivotsthe latch 70 on its shaft 69 into the position indicated in broken linesin FIG. 3, and also shown in FIG. 4. The resulting withdrawal of thelatch arm 68 from the recess 67 of the lock bolt 27 permits the bolt tobe projected into its locking position by the spring 29.

The combined steering column and ignition lock of the invention thusoperates in the same manner as a conventional ignition lock.The'insertion, rotation, and withdrawal of the key, entirely the same asin the usual ignition lock, also automatically unlocks the steeringcolumn and projects the lock bolt 27 into a position from which it dropsinto the recess 26 of the steering column when the latter is beingturned into the aligned position shown in FIG. 1.

It will be appreciated that the ignition switch 39 may be equi ped withcontacts in circuit with an electric starter motor which is energizedwhen the key 43 is turned beyond the ON position into a START position,as is usual.

While the invention has been described in connection with certainspecific and preferred embodiments, it will be clearly understood thatmany modifications and variations may occur to the skilled in the art,particularly after benefitting from the present teaching, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of this invention, as defined in theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A lock arrangement for a vehicle having a steering column comprising,in combination:

(a) a housing;

(b) attaching means for securing said housing to the steering column ofsaid vehicle;

(c) a lock bolt formed with a recess and movable on said housing betweena locking position and a retracted position, said bolt when in saidlocking position projecting from said housing for engagement with saidsteering column;

(d) bolt actuating means for actuating movement of said bolt betweensaid positions thereof, said actuating means including (1) yieldablyresilient means permanently urging said bolt toward the locking positionthereof, and

(2) a driving member mounted on said housing for movement in engagementwith said bolt against the urging of said resilient means;

(e) lock cylinder means mounted on said housing for rotation about anaxis between an OFF position and an ON position, said cylinder meansbeing operatively connected to said driving member for movement of thelatter when said cylinder means rotates about said axis, said cylindermeans defining at least a portion of a key slot for receiving an axiallyinserted key; and

(f) latch means mounted on said housing for movement between anoperative position in which a first portion of the latch means engagessaid recess of said lock bolt when the same is in said retractedposition, while a second portion of said latch means extends into saidkey slot for engagement with said inserted key when said cylinder meansis in said OFF position of the same, and an inoperative position inwhich said latch means is withdrawn from said recess and at leastsubstantially withdrawn from said key slot.

2. An arrangement as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a keyaxially movable inward and outward of said key slot toward and away froma fully inserted position, said key being formed with a recess therein,said second portion of said latch means engaging said recess in said keytransversely of said axis when said latch means is in the operativeposition thereof while the key is in the fully inserted position, andcam means on said key adjacent said recess and engageable with saidsecond portion during said outward movement of said key for moving saidlatch means from said operative toward said inoperative positionthereof.

3. An arrangement as set forth in claim 2, wherein said portions of saidlatch means are fixedly connected.

4. An arrangement as set forth in claim 2, wherein said latch means ispivotally mounted on said housing for angular movement between saidpositions thereof.

5. An arrangement as set forth in claim 2, further comprising anignition switch mounted on said housing and operatively connected tosaid cylinder means for operation thereby.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 20,352 5/1937Smith 252 X 1,342,728 6/1920 Welch 70252 2,100,718 11/1937 Mahee 702522,148,609 2/1939 Edwards 70252 PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Primary Examiner.

B. R. GAY, Assistant Examiner.

1. A LOCK ARRANGEMENT FOR A VEHICLE HAVING A STEERING COLUMN COMPRISING,IN COMBINATION: (A) A HOUSING; (B) ATTACHING MEANS FOR SECURING SAIDHOUSING TO THE STEERING COLUMN OF SAID VEHICLE; 7C) A LOCK BOLT FORMEDWITH A RECESS AND MOVABLE ON SAID HOUSING BETWEEN A LOCKING POSITION ANDA RETRACTED POSITION, SAID BOLT WHEN IN SAID LOCKING POSITION PROJECTINGFROM SAID HOUSING FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID STEERING COLUMN; (D) BOLTACTUATING MEANS ACTUATING MOVEMENT OF SAID BOLT BETWEEN SAID POSITIONSTHEREOF, SAID ACTUATING MEANS INCLUDING (1) YIELDABLY RESILIENT MEANSPERMANENTLY URGING SAID BOLT TOWARD THE LOCKING POSITION THEREOF, AND(2) A DRIVING MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING FOR MOVEMENT IN ENGAGEMENTWITH SAID BOLT AGAINST THE URGING OF SAID RESILIENT MEANS; (E) LOCKCYLINDER MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXISBETWEEN AN OFF POSITION AND AN ON POSITION, SAID CYLINDE MEANS BEINGOPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVING MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT OF THE LATTERWHEN SAID CYLINDER MEANS ROTATES ABOUT SAID AXIS, SAID CYLINDER MEANSDEFINING AT LEAST A PORTION OF A KEY SLOT FOR RECEIVING AN AXIALLYINSERTED KEY; AND (F) LATCH MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING FOR MOVEMENTBETWEEN AN OPERATIVE POSITION IN WHICH A FIRST PORTION OF THE LATCHMEANS ENGAGES SAID RECESS OF SAID LOCK BOLT WHEN THE SAME IS IN SAIDRETRACTED POSITION, WHILE A SECOND PORTION OF SAID LATCH MEANS EXTENDSINTO SAID KEY SLOT FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID INSERTED KEY WHEN SAIDCYLINDER MEANS IS IN SAID OFF POSITION OF THE SAME, AND AN INOPERATIVEPOSITION IN WHICH SAID LATCH MEANS IS WITHDRAWN FROM SAID RECESS AND ATLEAST SUBSTANTIALLY WITHDRAWN FROM SAID KEY SLOT.